Public opinion empowers Weibo's effect

Liu Tienan, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, is now under investigation because of a journalist's real-name whistleblowing report. A journalist has toppled a senior official through Weibo, which has impressed the public the most although this landmark incident also sends wider signals.

After the emergence of the Weibo real name report posted last December by Luo Changping, deputy managing editor of Caijing Magazine, many people are not optimistic about Liu's fate. People have the expectation that under such circumstances, nobody could cover up Liu's scandal if it is true.

This case further consolidates Chinese society's beliefs that as long as corruption and scandals are real and exposed, suspects are unlikely to escape punishment. Justice exists in Chinese society because of increasingly powerful public opinion and the ability of institutions to correct errors.

This is the true meaning of democracy and the rule of law which are developing in China.

However, it is hard to forget that the day when Luo made public Liu's case, the National Energy Administration officially denied the accusation, claiming it was all slander.

It shows that public departments sometimes bow down to senior officials and are even used by them for private purposes, which is a breeding ground for corruption.

Cheers for the investigation and jeers at the National Energy Administration have been intertwined since the news came to light. Some people's suspect toward the official system will not be reversed by this incident. However, the positive impacts brought by this incident are accumulating. It is a victory for Weibo as well as for our institutional reforms.

The style of China's social harmony is undergoing subtle changes. Weibo supervision and anti-corruption efforts have created not only constructive results but also a measure of conflict. Taking both of these on board is the key direction for the upgrading of social harmony in the Internet age.

China has a strong internal force to continuously move the country forward. Chinese society, including officials, actively accepts the positive impact brought by non-mainstream online activities. This is the fundamental reason why the Internet can play a special role in China.

Even officials' management measures toward the Internet provide channels and promotions instead of setting up obstacles.

Luo Changping's victory over Liu Tienan was achieved through the Internet. This predicts that the focus of power of Chinese public opinion is further shifting to the Internet. The Chinese Internet sphere is now one of the most influential in the world. This trend will only continue to grow.